Hats in the New York Times

[Smyat]

Decent article about hats by one of the reporters at large for the New York Times in today's edition. It doesn't seem to be available in the online edition, though.

 

[Rick Blaine]

Here 'tis:

From Harlem to Midtown for That Item to Top Off a Look

 

[D00R]

Worth & Worth at 45 West 57th Street

Porta Bella on 125th Street

Haven't heard of these hats stores in NYC

 

[Tomasso]

Worth & Worth .........Haven't heard of these hats stores in NYC

W&W is quite possibly the most famous hat store in NYC history. For decades they occupied a storefront on Madison Ave. (43rd) which was a stone's throw from some of NYC's most venerable men's stores; Brooks Brothers, F.R. Tripler, J.Press, Paul Stuart and the original Abercrombie & Fitch, among others. Rising rents forced them out of their Madison Ave location around a decade ago but they operated an net biz for several years before recently opening their 57th street shop.

 

[D00R]

W&W is quite possibly the most famous hat store in NYC history. For decades they occupied a storefront on Madison Ave. (43rd) which was a stone's throw from some of NYC's most venerable men's stores; Brooks Brothers, F.R. Tripler, J.Press, Paul Stuart and the original Abercrombie & Fitch, among others. Rising rents forced them out of their Madison Ave location around a decade ago but they operated an net biz for several years before recently opening their 57th street shop.

Iv been to the Borsalino store JJ hats but I'm interested in checking out this place now too.

 

[Sefton]

So,real hats are (yet again)making a comeback. The only bit that I liked was the ending where the 72 year old hat shop proprietor says "we can do better" after looking at his pink homburg!

 

[Tomasso]

the 72 year old hat shop proprietor says "we can do better" after looking at his pink homburg!

What great advice the author received from his hip friend, a pink homburg for his first hat.:eusa_doh: BTW, the author describes the pink hat as both a fedora and a homburg.

 

[happyfilmluvguy]

The article has a very positive outlook. I say let the homey touches slide.

 

[My Pop's Closet]

I purchased my first fedora from W&W back in Dec 1988. I was three years out of college and was looking for a hat to match my overcoat. I didn't want to look like one of those guys that wore a ski cap or a baseball cap with a suit and wool overcoat. So I walked into the W&W store and purchased a Cavanagh fedora in grey, which I still proudly own. It's too bad Cavanagh is no longer around.

 

[Matt Deckard]

I stopped by the shop earlier this year and it was one of the first shops from which I recieved a modern hat. They are okay feltwise, they have their own producer. The felt didn't hold up as well as a modern Stetson or Akubra though they have some fur felts that are in a low enough price range for the beginner. The sweatbands tend to be a bit plasticine.

 

[besdor]

The Cavanaugh label is back from Stetson ,so you will them pop up in your local hat store. The Worth and Worth of today is just a shadow of it's former namesake. The "store" is located in a loft in NY and has a little of this and that. The old WW was a true hat store that carried all of the famous brands .
The only real hats stores in Manhattan are JJ Hats and Arnold Hatters.



Steven

 

[My Pop's Closet]

The fact that many of the notable American hat brands are now under single ownership is kind of a major turnoff to me. It reminds me of GM with its multiple brandnames yet look alike cars. The differences among the brands may not be substantive and exciting enough to compel prospective customers to go out and make a purchase. In this case, I think the hat market would be better served if there was more competition. I'd like to be able to walk down a street and recognize a contemporary Stetson from a cotemporary Cavanagh or from a cotemporary Dobbs, etc.

Hey Steven -

Whatever happened to JayLord Hatters? I was under the impression that Burt Berinsky, if I recall his name correctly, was pushing to revive men hat wear. I went to NYC in Dec 1988 looking for his store but couldn't find it. So I ended up at W&W.

 

[Spellflower]

I actually bought my first fedora from Arnold Hatters. Arnold wasn't in, but a younger guy provided exquisite customer service, letting me try on tons of hats, and take all the time I needed making up my mind.

Unfortunately, the store's selection and the clerk's knowledge left a lot to be desired. I know the selection really isn't their fault- they can't sell quality products if they're not being made, but they could use some wider brims in their lineup, even if they can't get Akubras.

As for the clerk, he was extremely nice, but just didn't know what he was talking about. He warned me away from fur hats because he said you couldn't get them wet without ruining them, and recommended a "lite felt" wool crushable for water repellency and durability. I bought it and lived to regret it. It gets soggy and smelly in the rain, and looks like a toy compared to my Federation, which has never suffered from the rain. Maybe he just meant that you shouldn't get New York Hat Co. fur hats wet.

 

[besdor]

Jay Lord Hatters is long gone. We bought many of their flanges when they went up for auction. Thery were the last custom hatter in NYC. Arnold Hats sells what the public wants and that for the most part is wool felts because of their price. Their location also dictates what they sell as well.



Steven
A man who likes to sell his hats!